On the Road Again: France
The Horizon Center, Shelby Senior Services, sponsored a trip to France recently. The tour covered all the highlights from the capital, D-Day beaches, the Central Chateaux region, to Southern France. Our French is a lot better now, since we had to know such essential phrases as Hello, Goodbye, Where is the restroom, and more.
PARIS
Probably one of the most interesting experiences for us during our time in Paris was attending a Cabaret performance. One has to realize that in a Cabaret performance in France there will be limited, "tasteful" nudity, which is acceptable to the French. The Revue involved, at times, some motorcycles, a trapeze, and a unicycle. Of course, the highlight of the whole performance in my opinion was the iconic Can-Can!
However, Paris is much more than provocative dancing. History and architecture abounds. For example, we went to the Louvre art museum. The extensive, centuries-old, U-shaped stone building features one very large and four small pyramids of glass and steel, including an inverted one in the courtyard. Housed inside are treasures from all over the world, including art, sculpture, etc., notably the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory and the Venus Demilo. It would have been a wonderful treat to spend the time necessary to see everything, which would have taken days, if not months.
The Eiffel Tower, an eyesore to those who first saw it, was constructed for their World's Fair. After a whirlwind competition, the contract was awarded to two architects who ultimately sold it to a businessman named Eiffel. The structure was to be put up quickly and disassembled when the fair was over. However, the structure's unique appearance grew more and more popular with the citizens, so that's why it still stands today.
The apartment buildings in this very crowded city of 2.5 million people (one-fifth of France's population) are about six stories tall, have beautifully crafted stone facades, and have wrought iron balconies with flower boxes full of gorgeous flowers on the upper floors. It is a picturesque and fascinating city with 20 districts. The district in which you live signals your status on the income scale.
Many apartment and commercial buildings do not have elevators. Moving in or out is a challenge. Sometimes couches, mattresses, and other larger items are delivered by movers who climb ladders outside to maneuver the items up or down through the windows. Most apartments are small. Our local guide, a single lady with a cat, lives in 300 square feet and climbs six stories to her dwelling. She paid 100,000 Euros in 2000 for this apartment, which she loves, and is now worth about 250,000 Euros. She said she cannot sell it because another apartment in the better part of the city would be more expensive.
Politics is very important at this time in Paris because of the upcoming election. A rally for one of the candidates took place outside our hotel while we were there. Thousands of people cheered and shouted their support during his speech. Walking back to our hotel was a challenge that day, but when the police were told we were Americans just trying to get back to the hotel from a city tour, they gladly opened the temporary fence and as we went by, one policeman said to us, "God Bless America!" Overall, the French people were very friendly to us.
VERSAILLES
The opulence of the palace of Versailles is renowned and well-deserved. Gold leaf greets the visitor at the front double gates and used liberally throughout the rooms. The palace paintings, both framed ones on the walls and on each ceiling, reminds one of the Sistene Chapel in the Vatican. Beginning as a hunting lodge, the palace was expanded many times, ever more elegant than the previous addition. A succession of King Louis' used the palace, located outside of Paris about 25 miles or so, until the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI were taken prisoner from the palace and transported back to Paris and killed.
THE D-DAY BEACHES
Traveling to the northwest of Paris all the way to Normandy and the English Channel, the events of WWII were highlighted everywhere you went. Flags of the countries that liberated the French from Nazi occupation fly at the entrance of each of the myriad of small villages that greeted the Allied Forces on June 6, 1944.
Omaha Beach stood out for me because of the grand memorial and burial grounds. Solemn and patriotic emotional feelings make one realize the extent of sacrifice that our fighting men and women gave for our freedom. The French provided the Americans nearly 200 acres of land in perpetuity and tax free for this enormous graveyard, which is amazing to see. We saw monuments and grateful sentiments at all the beaches: Omaha, Utah, Gold, Sword and Juno. We walked them all and saw the documentaries with incredible original film footage and testimonies from survivors. Those Americans buried in France are there because the families were contacted and they agreed to allow them to stay in the land they helped liberate.
MT. ST. MICHEL
Second only to the Eiffel Tower, the abbey at Mt. St. Michel is the most popular tourist attraction. Sitting on top of a mountain island, this abbey is ringed below with shops from the bottom to the top. One cobblestone path winds its way to the top. Of course, the day we were there, the path was closed for maintenance. However, the stone stairway on the exterior wall was open, and 700 stone steps later, we arrived at the top. A tour of the abbey with its many chambers, accessible only by more stairs, convinced me that I did not want to be a monk living there during that time. No doubt the monks were in top condition physically, unless they suffered from altitude sickness.
Restaurants and souvenir shops line the path, opening to the staircase as well as the path, so one doesn't lack for food or trinkets. If you go to St. Michel, beware of the cobblestones (Europe is not handicap friendly) and lack of "toilettes," however.
CHATEAUX COUNTRY
While they were in power, the French kings and nobles lived very well. Their country estates were opulent and filled with art and sculpture from all over Europe, especially Italy. Lavish gardens became a status symbol. Our plush digs for two nights were in the Chateau d' Augerville, a popular golf destination. It is located in central France in the middle of vast farmland. A mistress and a queen inhabited the Chateaux, but not at the same time.
Our visit included a stop in Fountainbleu where Napoleon resided. This large chateaux was home to Popes, as well as the kings and important nobles of the day. Room after room glitters with gold and is decorated with tapestries, paintings, wallpaper popular in the day, fine furniture, sculptures, fine silver and French dishes. Of course, you exit through a gift shop!
AVIGNON
The preferred way to get from Paris to Avignon in southern France is by the high-speed train. Instead of hours and hours, this train goes the distance in under three hours. It is comfortable and modern.
FOOD
France, of course, is known for its cuisine. I found it very different from the American fare. Delicately seasoned sauces dominate most meat and seafood dishes. A wide variety of vegetables are used liberally. Some that I was not very familiar with included lentils, cooked and shredded cabbage, and turnips. What we anticipated most, however, were the desserts. Creme Brûlée, dessert crepes, fruit tarts, merangue, croissants with marmalade, cakes, sweet breads, and much more. Dieting is not recommended on a trip to France. Of course, local wines are features of noon and evening meals whenever possible.
TIDBITS
70% of France's energy is from nuclear energy
Street level floors in buildings are not first floor, they are labeled "0"
Roundabouts are the norm outside big cities, even in the most rural parts of central France
Tap water is usually free, safe and tasty; bottled water is expensive
In Paris, one can take a tour of the sewers
Paris streets are clean, usually, and most are very narrow except for main thoroughfares
Public transportation is convenient and fast
Pick-pockets are always a concern in large cities and crowds, so just be cautious
Public toilets are usually pay toilets, some cost up to 1 Euro; restaurant toilets are free
Fashion is very important
Soup is puréed
Not as many people speak English as we were led to believe, so it helps to know a few phrases
Most people are friendly and helpful
Coffee is strong expresso served in little cups
No washcloths
Diet cola is called cola light
Smoking is very common, even among high school children
Not handicapped accessible
Nutella is a food group there
Croissants are the best ever!
The reason most French people aren't fat is because they walk or bike everywhere
Carol McDaniel is the travel coordinator for Shelby Senior Services.